Waterproofness (i.e. hermetic sealing, or hermeticity) may be a desirable characteristic of various devices. For example, it is sometimes desirable to waterproof electrical devices which are designed to be deployed outdoors for extended periods of time, or devices which are commonly exposed to humidity or water. Waterproofing is especially desirable with regard to electrical devices which process significant electrical power, since water influx to such devices may cause system failure, blackouts, electrical fires or other life-threatening situations. Such devices include photovoltaic (PV) direct-current to alternating-current (DC-to-AC) inverters, direct-current to direct-current (DC-to-DC) converters, PV combiner boxes, PV safety devices (e.g. residual current detectors) and more.
One of the challenges of waterproofing devices is testing the hermeticity of the device enclosure. Commonly used methods include removing a sealing plug from the device enclosure, injecting pressurized air into the enclosure, monitoring air pressure within the enclosure for a period of time, and returning the plug. When many devices are being testing for hermeticity at once (e.g. on a manufacturing or assembly line), the number of required steps and reliance on human skill may cause some tests to be carried out incorrectly, or sealing plugs to be improperly returned to place. Therefore, a need remains for an improved method for hermeticity testing.